Points to remember

It’s best to freeze food when it’s fresh – the intention being to keep it at its best. But, you can also save on waste by freezing items that are past their prime.

Be sure to cool cooked foods completely before you freeze them. Freezing food when hot is not energy e cient, as it raises the temperature in the freezer and could cause other foods to start defrosting.

Only refreeze food if you’re cooking it before putting it back in the freezer. Food-borne bacteria will become inactive when frozen, but will thaw along with the food and become active again. But, if you cook the food inbetween (for example, thawing beef mince, using it to make bolognese, then freezing), the bacteria will be killed o in the cooking. That’s provided you haven’t allowed the food to become unsafe by leaving it hanging around too long after defrosting, or defrosting it in a dangerous manner (for example, somewhere very hot). Some bacteria can produce toxins that cannot be killed by heat.

Remember to label and wrap foods properly or put them in sealed containers; otherwise, your food may get freezer-burn.

Hard-boiled eggs go rubbery, so chop them irst.

Veg with a high water content – such as lettuce, cucumber, beansprouts and radishes – go limp and mushy when defrosted, so plan on blending them or use them in dishes where this doesn’t matter.

Soft herbs, like parsley, basil and chives, can be mixed into dishes but won’t be good for garnishing.

To support you with the challenge of rising food and energy prices, we’re bringing together knowledge and ideas to help you eat well, whatever your budget. You can ‡ind even more resources and advice on low-cost cooking at bbcgoodfood.com/cook-smart. We’d also love to hear from you with any tips you have to share using the hashtag #Gfcooksmart.